Cantwell Floor Remarks on Why She’s Voting NO on More Funding for DHS and ICE

Cantwell Floor Remarks on Why She's Voting NO on More Funding for DHS and ICE

Cantwell: "The real question is, do you believe in these civil liberties of Americans or not?"

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, delivered a speech on the Senate floor detailing why she intends to vote against the House-approved budget for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the agency that operates Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

"The question is, what are we going to do about this use of force? My colleagues are out here saying, 'it's a tragedy.' I agree it is a tragedy. They're out here saying that this situation shouldn't have happened. I agree. I don't think ICE should be in Minnesota," Sen. Cantwell said.

"And my only question now is whether my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are going to stand up for the role and responsibility the federal government plays in oversight, in investigation and upholding the civil liberties of Americans in the United States of America when these incidents happen. The rest of this is just debate. The rest of this about how ICE operates, about how [the Department of] Homeland [Security] operates, about what you want to do about immigration, whether you want immigration reform -- the rest of it is just debate.

"The real question is, do you believe in these civil liberties of Americans or not? And when police or power by the federal government is used in an excessive way and it means the loss of life, do you believe in having an authority that investigates, that is transparent with the American people and holds that system accountable?"

Video of her full speech can be viewed HERE; a transcript is HERE.

Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a package of six funding bills, including one that would appropriate the DHS budget for Fiscal Year 2026. The Senate is scheduled to vote on the package by midnight on Jan. 30 to avert a partial government shutdown of the agencies that would be funded by this package.